Since our promoter Mari booked South London duo Scrounge for a Get In Her Ears gig at The Windmill in Brixton back in 2018, we’ve been avid fans of their vital art-punk anthems. Formed of lead vocalist & guitarist Lucy Alexander and drummer & vocalist Luke Cartledge, the pair have been bringing their formidable live sound to stages across the UK for years, as well as taking them across the pond to the USA to perform at SXSW in Texas and The New Colossus Festival in New York.
It’s at the latter that Scrounge caught the attention of label Ba Da Bing! Records, who have worked alongside the pair to release their first full length record, Almost Like You Could. Following on from Scrounge’s debut mini-album, Sugar, Daddy – which featured on our Albums of 2022 list – the title hints at the prospect of existing beyond the chaos and despondency of the current social and political climate. All it takes is a commitment to friendship, community and the guts to live authentically; something that Scrounge have dedicated themselves to on and off stage.
Sugar, Daddy was a succinct blend of cutting lyrics, intense riffs and fraught percussion that truly hit a nerve, but on their first full length offering Scrounge have upped the anti and delivered a collection of anthems that are just as hard-hitting and relatable, whilst simultaneously managing to explore new sonic territory in the process. Take closing track ‘Nothing Personal’ for example. Luke takes the lead vocals on this stripped back offering, which tackles themes of urban isolation. It’s a vulnerable and fitting end to a record that doesn’t hold back in any sense. The pair shared in an interview with The Line Of Best Fit that they incorporated samples and recordings they’d captured throughout the album’s recording process into this track, proving that their desire to push the boundaries of what they’re capable of as a two piece is as steadfast as ever.
Single ‘UTG’ is another stellar example of Scrounge’s blend of tenacity and vulnerability. Lucy penned the track to express how as a queer person, she feels that the process of “coming out” never truly ends. She pairs her earnest lyricism with a more buoyant guitar sound here, making it one of the band’s softest tracks to date, but it still retains the visceral emotional potency of Scrounge’s sonically heavier offerings. The duo balance these conflicting elements effortlessly throughout the record, which gives Almost Like You Could its impressive cohesive quality.
The album has been fuelled by the kind of proactive, cathartic cynicism that motivates you to resist and revolt, instead of sending you into a hopeless spiral. The pair acknowledge that even though things might be dire, there will always be moments of joy, pleasure and hope if you look hard enough for them. This is directly addressed on the ricocheting beats and riffs on opener ‘Higher’ as well as the melodic ‘Buzz/Cut’. Even the track ‘Dreaming’ – where Lucy repeats the melancholic line “dreaming isn’t all that it’s cracked up to be” – there is still a strong sense of finding faith in reality, however that might present itself.
‘Waste’ and ‘Rat’ are two of the record’s grittier offerings and both simmer with unrest. Lucy’s distorted riffs and Luke’s urgent percussion are totally gripping on both. ‘Corner Cutting Boredom’ and ‘Melt’ bookend each other beautifully – referencing each others titles – and again, they flow with that distinctive pressing momentum that we have come to admire in all of Scrounge’s music.
Almost Like You Could is a powerful, biting reminder that Scrounge remain driven by the desire to create meaningful art that represents who they are, as well as the voices of the allies and DIY communities that they’re a vital part of; which is something that we back all the way at GIHE. Please, please buy this album. All of the team endorse it.
Buy a ticket for Scrounge’s London headline show on Weds 23rd April at The Lexington here
Scrounge are also headlining our GIHE stage at The Great Escape in Brighton on Sat 17th May!
Day & Weekend tickets available here
Follow Scrounge on bandcamp, Spotify, Facebook, Instagram and X
Photo Credit: Joseph Elliott
Get In Her Ears 
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